Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to work Wednesday after a three-day summer break that included a hospital visit, leading to speculation he is suffering ill health. (Japan Times)

A prominent infectious disease expert in Japan is warning that the country is in the midst of second wave of the coronavirus outbreak. The alarm comes as the number of seriously ill patients has been rising. (NHK)

Nissan Motor Co. has been ordered to pay several hundreds of millions of yen in back taxes in connection with misuse of funds by the Japanese automaker under former boss Carlos Ghosn, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Tokyo Olympic organizers have settled on preserving the torch relay schedule developed for 2020 to be used in next year's postponed games, officials with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Osaka became the top prefecture in the number of new coronavirus cases in Japan with 187, eclipsing Tokyo by one. (Japan Times)

People in Tokyo are struggling with the scorching summer heat. Health officials say 79 people died of heatstroke in the capital this month. (NHK)

Health officials in Japan are dealing with an increase in coronavirus infections. They're calling for vigilance as the number of seriously ill patients is on the rise. (NHK)

Sometime after 11 p.m. on the night of July 29, a 30-something woman was walking back to her home in the Bunka neighborhood of Tokyo’s Sumida Ward when a man on a bicycle rapidly approached her from behind. (soranews24.com)

Japan's imperial family has decided to forgo their summer retreat outside Tokyo due to the coronavirus outbreak. (NHK)

Japanese authorities reported 644 new coronavirus cases nationwide on Monday, including 161 in Tokyo. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan government confirmed 207 new cases of the coronavirus in Tokyo on Tuesday. (NHK)

An unknown gunman shot and wounded a member of a criminal syndicate in Iwakuni City on Saturday, police said, reports Fuji News Network (Aug. 16). (tokyoreporter.com)

Many schools across the nation reopened Monday after summer vacations were shortened to allow students to catch up on classes missed when schools closed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Times)

Many parts of Japan endured an intense heat wave on Sunday. Weather officials forecast that the scorching heat will continue on Monday. (NHK)

Shizuka Oya, a member of idol group AKB48, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, her agency said on August 14. (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo reported on Sunday 260 new cases of the novel coronavirus, with the figure remaining above 200 daily infections for the fifth consecutive day. (Kyodo)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni Shrine for war dead on Saturday - the 75th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two - but avoided a personal visit that would anger China and South Korea. (Japan Today)

The maximum number of spectators allowed at concerts, professional sports and other events will be kept at 5,000 as the coronavirus continues to spread, government officials said Friday. (Japan Times)

Weather officials says they expect "dangerously" high temperatures of almost 40 degrees Celsius will continue across Japan through Sunday. (NHK)

Japan’s two major air carriers will substantially reduce their domestic flights next month due to weak demand amid a resurgence of novel coronavirus infections. (Japan Times)

People in Japan are commemorating the end of World War Two -- 75 years on. A government-organized ceremony was held in Tokyo on Saturday to honor those who died in the war. (NHK)

Japan on Saturday reported more than 1,200 new cases of the novel coronavirus, topping the 1,000 mark for the third day, with cluster outbreaks and infections at home occurring at the height of the summer holiday season. (Japan Today)

Japanese couple Rikiya and Ayumi Kataoka had their honeymoon wrecked by the coronavirus pandemic, but their resourcefulness in enforced exile in Cape Verde has won them appointments as ambassadors for its Olympic team. (Japan Today)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government said Friday that it will inspect bars and restaurants with a metropolitan government-issued sticker indicating that adequate measures to prevent COVID-19 infections are in place. (Japan Times)

Veteran Japanese action movie star and singer Tetsuya Watari, known for his role in the hit police drama "Seibu Keisatsu" (Western Police), died of pneumonia at a hospital in Tokyo earlier this week, his office said Friday. He was 78. (Japan Today)